It is known from German Patent No. DE 36 45 179 C2 that a slide can be provided with a plug connector part which can be coupled with a mating connector to form a plug connection; this slide facilitates the application of the joining force and the separating force of the plug connection. The slide can be inserted into guide slots of the plug connector part.
In an open position in which the plug connector part and the mating connector can be paired with each other, the slide is inserted into the guide slot for a portion of its length and is held there by a releasable catch connection.
This catch connection can be overpressed, however, due to the shape of the catch elements, so that when the plug connector part is delivered by the manufacturer to an assembly site where the plug connector part is to be coupled to the mating connector, the slide can be displaced from its open position and the mating connector cannot be coupled.
This rechecking of the position of the slide at the assembly site and the corrections necessitated require additional efforts and operations in the assembly process and increase the cost of producing the electric plug connection.
In addition, the plug connector part may be provided with one or more springs that bridge contact elements of the plug connector part when the mating connector is not coupled. This short circuit may be used to light a pilot lamp or warning lamp to permit an optical indication of the fact that the plug connection has not been properly closed.
To bridge contact elements of the plug connector part, the switch springs must be preloaded and pressed onto the contact elements. However, if the plug connector part is delivered without contact elements by the manufacturer to an assembly plant where the plug connector part is provided with contact elements, the switch springs extend into the mounting space over the receptacle chambers for the contact elements due to the given preloading and the lack of retention by the contact elements which are not yet present and thus they interfere with assembly in a disadvantageous manner.